A perfect game in baseball is an absolute: 27 batters, 27 outs. Period. But a no-hitter is a relative thing. Some are better than others.

Cincinnati’s Jim Maloney in 1965 walked 10 batters in a 10-inning no-hitter against the Cubs. In 1990, Andy Hawkins walked five and struck out just three — and his Yankees’ LOST the game 4-0 after he no-hit the White Sox.

Clayton Kershaw’s no-hitter Wednesday in the Dodgers’ 8-0 win over the Rockies was as perfect as a no-hitter can be without being “perfect.” Hanley Ramirez’s throwing error in the seventh inning, trying get out Drew Stubbs, was the only blemish.

This is a good lesson: “Perfect games” perhaps say more about a team than a pitcher. And to properly put Kershaw’s dominating performance in context, we can look at the numbers behind his pitches.

So, how good was Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw Wednesday night as he no-hit the Rockies? Check out this stat from the Elias Sports Bureau: Kershaw is the first player ever in the history of Major League Baseball with 15 strikeouts without allowing either a hit or walk.

Also, according to Elias, of Kershaw’s career-high 15 strikeouts, 14 came on breaking balls. The 14 strikeouts on breaking balls are the most in a single start since pitch types were first started being tracked in 2009.

You can check out the reaction of Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki in the above video.

Patrick, a third-generation Colorado native, is back for his second stint covering the Rockies. He first covered the team from 2005-2009, helping chronicle “Rocktober” in 2007 and also following the team’s playoff run in 2009.

Nick Groke has worked at The Denver Post since 1997, as a sports reporter, city reporter, entertainment writer and digital editor and producer, among other newsroom posts. He also writes regularly about boxing, soccer, MMA and NASCAR.